City of Laurel Open House: Sunday, March 4th from 1-4pm at the Municipal Center

Event Sign-up

Can we accept donations?

Will we have an art activity?

What supplies do we need?

Name Tags

2 Clipboards, multiple pens (P&R)

Newsletter Signup Sheet

Suggestion box or bowl and note cards for writing suggestions and pens

LAC Banner and supplies to hang the banner (P&R)

Tablecloth/s (P&R? City?)

Table and chairs (City)

Information about:

April 2nd Saturday Event

Mosaic Project?

Art Activity Supplies?

Public Relations & Event Planning Update

The Subcommittee has decided to use Google forms for the Artist Roster (individuals and organizations). Steven could make a flyer to place it in the park and recs FB page

Steven has created a landing page for Mailchimp to capture submissions

The first steps to create the 2-minute promo for Laurel T.V. will begin in March 2018

For suggestions to feature an Artist’s in the monthly Newsletter please send a bio and contact information to Laverne Debnam’s email before the last weekend of each month

The Events Planning Committee regularly meets at Ragamuffin Café on Main Street. In planning for our February newsletter, we asked the Owner (Jeremy Tuinstra) how did his recent Open Mike Night go? We were advised that he could not have the event because he would receive a fine for an Ordinance Violation in the areas of:

Amateur Acts

Live Performance with Dancing

Open Microphone Venues

April 2nd Saturday Artist Walk –We will discuss our next steps with Leigh regarding this and also the Public Art Subcommittee. Also see Clayton Cooper (DCLA)’s comments

Photo Contest next steps and following up with the Laurel Library in March

Olive on Main no longer displays Artwork- How can we keep them in the Art Loop?

Arts Education & Public Art Update

Update on Bench project, with input from the Laurel Historical Society

Ideas for Riverfront Park (#10 on map)

Funding/Grantmaking Update

Budget Submitted

LAC Fund Policy (DRAFT)

Prince George’s County Special Appropriation Grants (Deadline: March 31)

What type(s) of service(s) and/or program(s) will be provided?

Laurel Business Networking Event on Wednesday, February 21 from 5:30-7:30pm at the Laurel Municipal Center

This event will be a great opportunity to network with fellow Laurel area business owners. It will also provide you will lots of important information for the upcoming year including: Economic Development events in 2018, marketing opportunities available through Laurel TV, and information about the Laurel Board of Trade’s Main Street Festival

Next meeting will be on March 13 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Laurel Municipal Center in Meeting Room 2

Minutes

LAUREL ARTS COUNCIL
Meeting Minutes
February 13, 2018

The Laurel Arts Council (LAC) held its meeting from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at the Laurel Municipal Center in Laurel, MD on February 13, 2018. Chair Kelsey Eustace called the meeting to order.

The minutes of the January 9, 2018 meeting were approved by all LAC members after edits were shared by Cheryl Dyer.

Business

Subcommittee Reporting: Chair Kelsey requested that all subcommittees should submit bullet points to go on the Agenda. The bullet points should include anything that affects the whole body, or requires discussion, or voting. The summary should be in paragraph format, and include everything the subcommittee has been working on since the last meeting to inform both Chair Kelsey and Vice-Chair Charles on what everyone is doing, as well as allow for members to review. It will also aid Chair Kelsey for when she writes the quarterly LAC report for the Mayor and City Council. Please submit bullet points and summaries via email in a timely manner by the deadline.

Vice Chair Charles shared a presentation, “The Idea of an Arts Council,” and spoke about examples of what Art Councils do, and how they operate. Functions include:

Stimulating and promoting the arts

Increasing access to arts for everyone

Producing art bookings

Serving as the collective voice for the arts in a community

Community asset mapping, focusing on what community has to offer rather than what the community lacks

Community outreach for tapping into a variety of art experiences

Short and long-term planning, well documented for the next generation of Arts Council members

Fundraising

Working with other organizations (Charles mentioned the example of collaborating with Sip at C St. Flats doing a Paint Night)

Chair Kelsey shared that LAC does not have their own website, but we are on the City’s website with a short description and link to subscribe to the Newsletter.

Steven started a sample blog through his personal account, which should ultimately be created under LAC’s own account. This would ultimately be an Event Planning & Public Relations subcommittee task. Chair Kelsey commented that quality is more important than quantity and any online presence LAC has should be maintained and up-to-date. Secretary Melissa asked about any constraints from City regarding the LAC having an independent page. Joanne (DPR) will be looking into that.

Laurel Board of Trade is managing Second Saturday Arts Walk event; LAC will help promote and host the event. LAC doesn’t have control over the sign-up form for vendors, but can make suggestions. Leigha (EDO) offered to make any changes. Cheryl mentioned that the Main Street Festival would be held soon after the Second Saturday Arts Walk, and had a similar setup in that all types of food, crafts and art vendors could potentially be present.

Sign-up sheet for City of Laurel Open House (March 4th @ 1-4pm) was passed around. Groups have info on their tables and giveaways. It is held inside the Municipal Center and each participating group or individual is supplied with a sign, tablecloth, and two folding chairs. Joanne (DPR) mentioned it’s a great opportunity to meet others and share LAC’s purpose. Members of each Department and elected officials are present. There is a lot of multigenerational traffic.

Brenda mentioned to have printed newsletters or handouts for visitors.

Check with Christian to see when March Newsletter will be ready and if the February one should be used.

Brenda mentioned giveaways would be good for the table.

Goals for event: to educate people about who we are, what we are doing, let them know about newsletter, collect donations by having a jar (don’t need to ask for donations), educate about events coming up (April 14th & October Arts Walk).

There is not a lot of space to engage in an interactive activity so the table is more for informational purposes. An activity would require a room, which might not bring in as much traffic.

Visitors can sign up for Newsletter on sign-up sheet, and there could be an incentive to sign up which could be books that Brenda offered to donate as giveaways.

Public Relations & Event Planning Update

LAC will host a photo contest to be included in a calendar, and Steven was able to create a landing page on MailChimp for people who want to submit entries. LAC doesn’t currently have funding for this project, but Steven has done the research. LAC would need funding for awards, printing calendars, ways to collect submissions for calendar, selling calendars, etc.

Artist Roster: Nadia volunteered to create an Artist Roster in google forms for the Greater Laurel Area, and will share a short link for LAC members to send out in their networks. This can also be shared at the LAC table on March 4th Open House.

Laurel TV will do a 2-minute promo in March featuring the LAC, but members have to volunteer with them to be able to use their equipment. Schedule is still being coordinated. Availability for members to volunteer needs to be during the work day. The March 4th Open House would be a great time to do a tour with them and see the equipment.

If you have an artist to be considered for an artist feature in the Newsletter, please email bio, photo and contact information to Laverne before the last week of the month.

The Events Planning Subcommittee regularly meets at Ragamuffin Café on Main Street and found out from the owner that they were cited with a violation because of their Open Mic Night. Joanne (DPR) mentioned that this is now on the radar of the Council members, and they will be taking a look at the Ordinance to see what can be done or changed. LAC will ask for an update at the next meeting and decide how to proceed from there.

DCLA and Olive on Main: Their contract was up for renewal and they weren’t sure where they wanted to go in terms of art venues at this time, so they didn’t sign a new contract. It was mentioned that LAC could approach the owner(s) to find out if they want to remove art completely, or do they need help maintaining art presence. In the past, they would exhibit art work and the public could view and purchase independently. It was also mentioned that Olive on Main was still displaying art, just not art affiliated with DCLA.

Arts Education & Public Art Update

Bench Project: Cheryl shared images of an existing mosaic wall and bench in Marfa, TX, which the subcommittee has been using as a reference and inspiration. Cheryl has been doing some mockups using different types of clay. The clay tiles include designs depicting historical buildings in Laurel. Participation could be opened up to anybody who wants to help create, and the meeting room in the Public Pool in Laurel could be used to work on it. This project could be completed in two workshops with volunteers; one day would be for making clay slabs, drying and firing, and another day for glazing.

This would be a permanent bench and a site still has to be determined for it. Cheryl mentioned a site, Avondale Mill, but there is concern of it being a flood plain.

Pool Mosaic Wall / Mural Project: This project would involve glass design, and the potential site could be at the public Swimming Pool. Cheryl spoke to people at Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore, MD and found out the mosaics were made by 4-5 Artists, high school students, and individuals from juvenile detention.

This project could be open to the community, which will also help LAC receive grants. Joanne (DPR) mentioned there is a similar program going on by new Navy Yard that we could use as inspiration. A mural is being created spanning the length of the park. Mural going to span park.

Brenda mentioned it would be a great experience to make art out of nature with local community or do a chalk drawing – we could block off area during Main Street Festival to gain interest.

Joanne (DPR) mentioned that in DPR, they allocated a portion of money used for Youth Sports to also now fund Youth Arts, so if there are some modest costs needed for this project startup, it can be taken out of that account because its already a budgeted item. Joanne (DPR) mentioned that at their recent school Principal’s meeting, there was a lot of interest to get the youth involved in the arts.

Funding/Grantmaking

Members reviewed the LAC Fund Policy and approved it with two edits. It will be sent to the Mayor and City Council for review and either approval or edits.

Charles is working on the Prince George’s County Grant Application and will bring it for review, discussion, and vote at the March meeting.

Next Meeting will be on March 13, 2018 from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Laurel Municipal Center in Meeting Room 2.